Machine for driving nails



June 17, 1924.

1,497,968 L. v. AVITT MACHINE FOR- DRIVING NAILS Filed on. 28' 1920 lo Sheets-Sheet 1 ZMfness:

June 17 1924. 1,497,968

L. v. AYITT MACHINE FOR DRIVING NAILS Filed Oct. 28. 1920 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 17. 1924. 1,497,968

L. V. AVITT MACHINE FOR DRIVING NAILS Filed om. 2a. 1920 10 sneetssh eet 4 MZ/wss:

.Hme 17, 1924;. 1,497,968

L. V. AVITT' MACHINB FOR DRIVING NAILS Filed Oct 1920 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 Mina 6s.

June 17 1924. 1,497,968

- L. v. AVIITT MACHINE FOR DRIVING NAVILS Filed oc'p za 19 2 0 10 Sheets-Shem June 11, 1924. 1,497,968-

L. V. AVITT MACHINE FOR DRIVING NAILS Filed Oct. 28. 1920 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 V 62 111W" .fl 4 0 6,5 96 36 June 17, 1924.

L. V. AVITT MACHINE FOR DRIVING NAILS Filed 001. 28v 1920 10 Sheets-Sheet 1O ZM/mm STATES mum orrice.

LEWIS V. AVITT, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOFRI, ASSIGNOR T0 SPECIALTY SHOE MAGHIN ERY COMPANY, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSU'URI, CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

MACHINE FOR DRIVING NAILS.

Application filed October 28, 1920. Serial No. 420,151.

1 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEWIS V. Avrr'r, citizen of the United States, and resident of- St. Joseph, county of Buchanan, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and use ful Improvement in Machines for Driving Nails, of which the following is a complete specification.

This present invention relates to nailing machines, and aims to provide an improved machine of a type designed especially for the driving of what are known to the shoe trade as hob nails, such as are driven into the soles and heels of certain classes of boots and shoes.

Accordingly one of the special features of the invention is a novel form of nail hopper construction, for maintaining a supply of the nails to be driven, and in which provision is made for the more effective feeding of the nails as required on to the raceway leading to the nail driving mechanism, and preventing any undue clogging of the nails in the process of loading the raceway.

A further object of the invention -is;to provide an improved form of raceway constructioinespecially designed to prevent'the overloading of the raceway, as well as to promote the feeding movement of the nails along the same, for which purpose a movable section is provided in the raceway and so operated as to return all excess nails to the hopper and to facilitate the proper transfer of the nails from this section on to the remainder of the raceway leading to the driver.

Another feature of the present improvement will be found in the means provided for separating and transferring the hails from the nail raceway into the path of the nail driver, novel provisionbeing made to insure the proper transfer of the nails one by one, as well as to insure an effective operative movement of the nail separating and transferring device, and in the requiredtimed relation to the nail driving mechanism. f a v In this connection it is also sought toprovide an improved means for receiving and supporting the nails about to be driven, in

the required position for theaction of the driver, and to continue this supporting action during the initial driving operation upon the nail, that is to say, for a slight interval after the nail has begun to enter the stock. For this purpose I have devised a sectional throat member,adapted to initially receive and support the nail as it en tore the path of the driver and to continue to support the nail by moving along with it during the first part of the driving operation, and-thereafter to spread out of the path of the driver and release the nail to the continued operation of the driver. r

A further feature of the improvement lies in the provision ofv a novel form of work feeding device, operated to feed the work between successive driving operations, and also of an adjustable character adapted to permit the reversal of the device with relation to the driving mechanism in such a manner as to'eifect feeding of the work in either of two opposite directions, according to the will of the operator. In this connection provision is also made for adjusting the action of the feeding device so as to vary the extent of the feeding movement produced by said device. I

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one form of construction which I have devised for embodying the proposed improvements, after which the various novel features and combinations therein will beparticularly set forth and claimed.

Inthe drawings= Figure 1 is a view in front elevation,illustrating a nailing machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same, with the column or standard partly broken away to disclose the interior thereof;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the machine, also partly broken away;

Figure & is'a plan views of the same, on an enlarged scale; a

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevation illustrating the head portion of. the machine; I t

Figure 6 represents a sectional elevation,

the section being indicated by the line 66[ of Figure 4:;

Figure 7 is a sectionalview, representing a section taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a sectionaldetail view, representing a section taken on the line 88 of Figure 6; i 1 1 Figure 9 is a sectional detail view, representing a section taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 4;

Figure 10 is also a sectional view, representing a section taken on a line 10-10 of Figure4; V

Figure 11 is a horizontal sectional view, representing a section taken on the line 11-11 of Figure 5;

Figure 12 is a detail sectional view, representing a section taken on a line 12-12 of Figure '4;

Figure 13 is a section taken on the line 13-13 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a horizontal sectional view, representing a section taken on the line 14-14 of Figure 5;

Figures 15 and 16 are detail sectional views, representing sections taken on the lines 15-15 and 16-16, respectively, of Figure 14;

Figure 17 is an inner face view of the hopper, and represents a section taken on the line 17-17 of Figure 4;

Figure 18 is also a vertical sectional view, representing a section taken on the line 18-18 of Figure4;

Figure 19 is a sectional detail view, showing a section taken on the line 19-19 of Figure 17;

Figure 20 is a vertical sectional View, representing a section taken on the line 20-20 of Figure 6;

Figure 21 is a sectional detail view, representing a section taken on the line 21-21 of Figure 4;

Figure 22 is a perspective view illustratingthe rim portion of the nail feeding wheel which feeds the nails from the nail hopper;

Figure 23 is a sectional detail view, illustrating a section taken onthe line 23-23 of Figure 10 Figure 24 i's sectional detailed view, illustrating a section taken on the line 24-24 of Figure 4;

Figure 25 is a vertical sectional view, illustrating a section taken on the line 25-25 of Figure3;

Figure 26 is a sectional view, showing a section taken on the line 26-26 of Figure 25;

Figure 27 is a detail sectional view, showing a section taken on the line 27-27 of Figure 26;

Figure 28 is a perspective view of the nail separating and transferring member.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, these illustrate the proposed improvements as embodied in a machine comprising the column or standard 30 supporting a head bracket'member 32 on which are carried the parts'comprisin'g the nail feeding, nail driving, and shoe feeding devices. As in the case with all nailing machines of this general type, a supply of the desired nails is maintained in a hopper structure, from which a nail raceway leads to the nail driving mechanism, to which the nails are delivered one by one for the driving operation. In the present construction, the hopper is made up of an outer shell or casing 34, open at its upper end for receiving the nails, and an inner casting 36 suitably secured to the head 32, and separated from the shell or casing 34 by means of a suitable partition 38 (Figure 20). The partition 38 is secured in place adjustably by means of bolts 40 engaging forked lugs 42 projecting from the sides of the partition, so that the relative sizes of the two compartments at the opposite sides of said partition may be slightly varied. The nails are placed within the receiving compartment in the shell or casing 34 at the outer side of the partition 38, and are gradually fed through an opening 44 in the lower edge of said partition 38 into the feed wheel compartment on the opposite side of said partition (see Figure 18). The bot tom of the shell or casing 34 is suitably inclined in the direction of the partition 38, so as to facilitate the movement of the nails in the base of the receiving compartment in the direction of said opening 44. Provision is alsov made for restricting the passage through the said opening 44 to any desired extent, so as to limit the movement of the nails through for which purpose I provide a shutter element 46 pivotally connected, as at 48, to the partition 38 in such a manner as to swing to a greater or less extent across the opening 44, as clearly shown in Figure 18. The shutter 46 is formed with an arcuate slot 50 engaged by a screw 52 threaded into the partition 38, and thus adapted to be set to hold the shutter 46 in any given po.- sition. By this means it is apparent that the rate of flow or supply of the nails to the feed opening 44 may be suitably regulated according to the particular requirements.

I further provide means for agitating the supply of nails within the nail hopper, this means comprising a pair of posts 54 reciprocating Vertically through openings 56 in the base of the shell or casing 34, the lower ends of said posts 54 being suitably secured to a laterally extending arm 58 which is secured to and operated by the vertically reciprocating bar 60, which actuates the nail driving mechanism. 1

Within the inner hopper compartment formed by the hopper section 36 is rotatably mounted a skeleton feed wheel made up of the rim portion 62 secured to a spider member 64 (see Figure 17), which is secured to one end of a short shaft 66 journaled in the hopper section 36 and in a bearing 68 carried by the bracket head 32, the opposite end of said-shaft 66 carrying a ratchet wheel 70 keyed thereto and adapted to be engaged by a spring-actuated pawl 72 carried by an arm 74 which is pivoted to the end of the shaft 66 at the side of the ratchet wheel 70. To the free end of the arm 7% is pivotally connected a link 76, which in turn is adjustably secured to the upper end of a rod 78, about which is coiled a spring 80, the upper end of which spring abuts against a collar 82 on the rod 78, (see Figure while the lower of said spring abuts against an internal shoulder 84 formed within the tubular section 86 pivotally connected to the outer end of a lever 88 which is tulcrumed at 90 (see Figure 3), to the column or standard 30 of the machine. The lower end of the rod 7 8 projects down within and past the shoulder 84, thus having a sliding engagement with the tubular member 86, to the upper end of which is threadedly connected a similar tubular section 92 fitted with a cap element 94- for engagement with the aforesaid collar 82. By means of this construction, and suitable adjustment of the sections 86 and 92, a yieldin actuating means is provided for ro tating the feed wheel 62 within the hopper, and adapted to accommodate for any clogging tendency of the nails, the degree of the yielding character of said drive being read ily regulated according to th requirements.

One face of the rim portion 62 of the feed wheel moves flush with a suitable lining 63 applied to the inner face of the hopper section 36, the said face of the feed wheel being formed with a plurality of nail recesses or pockets 96 adapted to be moved by said wheel in succession across a discharge outlet opening 98 provided in the top of the hop per, as shown in Figure 20. The nail p0ck ets or recesses 96 are formed with tapered and inclined sides which are so arranged as to be brought into downwardly inclined po* sition when moved by the wheel into register with the discharge outlet 98. The feed wheel is also formed with appropriate openings 100 adjacent to the several nail pockets or recesses, 96 and so arranged as to permit the nails 102 to move to the inner face of the side of the hopper formed by the hopper section 36'and then opposite th open side of the nail pockets or recesses, in position to drop into the latter. For the proper steadying of the feed wheels movement 1 provide a brake construction consisting of a friction element a occupylng an opening 105 111 the hopper section 36, said element 10st being ace tuated into frictional engagement with the rim portion 62 of th feed wheel by means of a plate 106 provided with a lug 108 whlch 111 turn is engaged by a plate 110 loosely connected by a screw 112 to the hopper section 36, the other end of said plate 110 being, engaged by a spring llthe action of which is adjusted by means of a screw 116 also threaded into the hopper section 36.

At the exterior of the hopper sectlon 36, and opposite the discharge outlet 98 from the hopper, is mounted a reciprocating raceway section 120, the said raceway section being slidingly mounted upon an inclined track or slideway 122 "formed by the hopper section 36. The track-or slideway 122 is formed with a slot 124: into which is fitted a block 126 suitably secured to the race section, and operating to limit'the reciprocating movement of said raceway section (see Figure 10). One side of the raceway 120 carries a shield plate 127, theupper end of which is provided with a laterally bent extension 128 fitted with a screw 130 projecting into a recess or socket 132 provided in the adjacent portion of the hop-per section 36, where a coil spring 134 is carried by said screw 130 between the head 135 thereof and a plate 136 at the mouth of the recess or socket 32, said spring 134 operating to retain the raceway section 120 normally in forwardposition, with the lower end thereof in register with the mouth or upper end of the fixed raceway 138 which conducts the nails #102 to the nail driving mechanism. To facilitate the discharge of the nails from the outlet 98 and the movement of said nails on to the re ciprocating raceway, the adjacent portion of the hopper section 36 is formed with an inclined slide surface 140 (see Figures and 23) connecting said outlet with one side of the raceway section, and extending for some distancealong the latter so as to afford ample opportunity for the nail 102 to become engaged with and assembled upon the raceway.

To facilitate the proper feeding movement of the nails, both as regards the assembling of the same upon the reciprocating raceway section, as well as the movement of said nails along said section and the transfer of the same to the fixed raceway 138, and the dis charge of any extra nails which may become loaded on to the reciprocating raceway section, I provide suitable means for reciprocating the said raceway section in the direction of its length, both for the purpose of separating it from the fixed raceway so as to release any excess naiis, as well for subjecting the said raceway section to a slight shock or blow produced by releasing the'sec-i tion to the action of the spring 134: in restoring the raceway section into normal engagement with the upper end of the fixed raceway, as shown in Figure 7. To this end I provide means for slightly retracting the reciprocating raceway section against the action of thespring 134, and then releasing the raceway section to the quick action. of said spring. This means comprises a bell crank lever 1 1 1- mounted on a fixed pivot l lti, one arm or" said lever being forked for sliding engagement with a pin or screw 1 18v pro ecting laterally from one side of they plate 137 of the raceway section. The other arm of said bell crank lever 1s provided with a laterally projecting pin 150 (see Figures 4 and 7) adapted to be engaged by any of a series of pins 152 projecting radially from a wheel 1 secured to the shaft 66 and operated by the same drive which actuates the nail feed wheel.

An additional device is provided for delivering a sharp blow upon the side of the raceway section at intervals between the successive reciprocations of the latter. This device comprises a pin 156 mounted slidingly in a block 158 for movement transversely of the raceway section 120, and normally retracted out of engagement with said section by means of a coiled spring 160 mounted in a recess within the block 158 and in engagement with the head of said pin. The pin 156 is provided with a notch 162, one side of which is inclined as shown in Figure 8, and adapted for engagement with. the knife-edge end of a lever 164, said lever being fulcrumed at 165 upon the block 68; the other end of the lever 16st is provided with a spring 166 acting to maintain the knife-edge end of said lever in engagement with the notch 162 of the pin 156. Pivotally journaled upon a bracket 168 is a ratchet wheel 170 provided with a plurality of laterally projecting pins 172 adapted for intermittent engagement with the rear end of the lever 16 1 for the purpose of depressing the other end of said lever out of engagement with the notch of the pin 156. The wheel 170 is adapted to be intermittently rotated by means of a spring actuated pawl 1741 adapted to engage the teeth of the wheel 170, said pawl being pii 'otally carried by a bracket 176 which is carried by the link 76 at the upper end of the reciprocating rod 60. Thus the ratchet wheel 170 is adapted to be intermittently rotated between successive reciprocative movements of the raceway section 120, whereby the lever 164: is first retracted and then released to the action of its spring 166, so that the other end of said lever is brought sharply into engagement with the inclined portion of the notch 162, and the pin 156 thereby sin'iilarly actuated into sharp engagement with the side of the raceway section. A. sharp. hammer-like blow is thus produced which is adapted to cause the nails being loaded upon the raceway to settle properly into position thereon, and at the same time cause any excess nails, or nails not properly positioned upon the raceway, to jar loose and be thereupon returned into the hopper.

A suitable housing structure 180 is appropriately positioned around the lower end portion of the reciprocating raceway section 120, and'formed with an opening 182 for the passage of the nail heads at the mouth of the fixed raceway 138 (see Figure 10). This housing structure 180 is designed to receive any nails which are not carried off by the raceway or become disengaged therefrom, and return such nails to the hopper, for which purpose the lower portion of the housing structure 180 is fashioned in the form of a chute adapted to discharge the nails into an opening 184: in the side of the hopper section 36 below the axis of the feed wheel, the said nails being adapted to be discharged through the feed wheel (that is, between its rim portion 62 and the axis of the wheel) and back into the bottom of the hopper, for further feeding movement.

The fixed raceway 138 is provided with an overhead strip 185 overlying the heads of the nails 102 during their travel along said raceway into position at the foot of the raceway, where they are ready to be transferred into the path of the nail driver. At the foot of the raceway is located a block 186 provided at the front end of an arm 188 projecting laterally from the bracket head 32, and this block is formed with a slide way 190 for accommodating a reciprocating nail separating, and transferring device 192 (see Figure 28). This device 192 is mounted for reciprocatory movement transversely of the raceway, and is of forked form for the purpose of accommodating the tracks forming the raceway between the arms of the device 192 during the movements of the latter. This forked shape of the nail separating deviceenables it to engage both the head and the shank of the nail which it is about to remove from the raceway, the nail engaging portions of the device being tapered or wedge shaped as shown in Figures 13 and 28, so that the reciprocating movement of the device 192 results in successively moving the nails out of the mouth of the raceway into the passage 19%. forming the path of the driver through the block 186.

The nail separating and transferring device 192 is reciprocated by means of a bell crank lever 196 pivoted at 198 to the arm 188, and slidingly engaging a screw 200 upon the outer end of the device 192 (see Figure 14). A projection 202 from the bell crank lever 196 is connected to a coil spring 1 having one end thereof secured to the bracket head 32, the action of which spring is designed to throw the lever 196 in a direction to project the device 192 into nail separating and transferring position. The nail separating device 192 is retracted in the'opposite direction by means of a toothed plate 266 pivotally connected to one arm of the bell crank lever 196 and actuated by springs 208 seated within a block 210, (see Figure 16) into toothed engagement with an oscillating segment 212 attached to one end of a shaft 21% journaled within the arm 188 of the bracket head 32. The other end of this shaft 214 carries an-arm 216provided with a roller 218 adapted to be operatively engaged by the angular edge of a plate 220 which is secured to an upwardly projecting bracket arm 222 attached to the vertically reciprocating rod 60. The roller 218 is maintained in continuous engagement with the plate 220 by the action of a spring 224 having one of its ends secured to the frame-work and its opposite end attached to the oscillating'segment 212 a point below the axis of the shaft 214. As the rod 60 is elevated, it causes the plate 220 to swing the arm 216 forward, thereby correspondingly oscillating the segment 212, and as this segment is in toothed engagement with the plate 206, the latter is retracted, thus locking the lever 196 and retracting the nail separating device 192, as will be readily understood. This operation of course takes place against the action of the spring 204, as well as of the spring 224, and the toothed relation of the plate 206 and segment 212 is such that during the latter part of the upward movement of the rod 60 said plate and segment become disengaged (the plate 206 being forced upward against its spring 208), whereupon the plate 206 is released and the lever 196 at once swung by the spring 204 in the opposite direction for moving the device 192 into nail separating and transferring position; the spring 224 likewise oscillates the segment 212 back to initial position ready to reengage the plate. 206 as the operation is repeated. The movements of the device 192 are limited by means of stop shoulders 230 formed upon its lower margin near the outer end thereof (see I Figure 12), these shoulders being adapted to alternately engage a stop plate 232 suitably secured across one end of the slideway 190 in the block 186.

The upper fork of the nail separating and transferring device 192 is provided with a wedge-shaped lug 234 at the free end thereof as illustrated in Figures 14 and 28, this lug 234 tapering inwardly, so that as the device 192 moves backwardly within the passage 190 this lug 234 is interposed in the path of the nails 102 and between the nail just separatj ed and transferred and the remaining nails in the raceway, as illustrated clearly in Figare 14. The movement of the nails is thus stopped with the nails occupying the position illustrated and having the next nail de-' signed for transfer to the path of the driver in position ready for the action of the separating and transferring device.

Loosely'pivoted at 236 (see Figure 11) to the bracket head 32 is a pair of arms or levers 238 having their forward ends projecting beneath the block 186, where said arms are formed with mating recesses 240 designed for receiving and supporting the nail, after it has been transferred into the driver passage 194, with which passage the said mating recesses 240 are located in alinement, as shown in Figures 10 and 13. The rear ends of the arms or levers 238' are slightly tapered, as shown in Figure 11, for the purpose of permitting a certain amount of spreading movement of the forward ends of said arms or levers 238 at the recesses 240 in order to release the nail in the final drivarms 238 are also permitted a slight lowering movement about the pivot 236 of the arms, and in opposition to a coil spring 244 set within a recess 245 in the bracket head 32 (see Figure 5), this spring being suitably supported upon a plate 246 carried by said rear ends of the arms 238. Attached to the block186 is an angular bracket 248, the lower portion of which projects inwardly beneath the forward end of the arms 238 in position for positively limiting the downward movement of said arms under the driv' ing operation. From this construction it will be seen that the mating recesses 240 provided by the arms 238 operate to initially receive the nail on delivery thereof to the driver passage 194, and continue to support the nail under the initial operation of the driver by virtue of the downward swinging movement of thearms about their pivot 236 and against the action of the spring 244, this continued support of the nail insuring its proper presentation to the work and partial penetration thereof. before the nail is released. As soon as the nail has partly penetrated the work, the continued move ment of the driversimply spreads the arms 238 apart so that the nail is released and the driver passes between the arms 238 to complete the driving of the nail.

Thenail driver comprises a vertically reciprocating rod 250 operating through a guide passage provided in an arm 252 projecting from the bracket head 32 (see Figure 9) the lower end of said "rod 250 being received in the driver passage 194 in the block 186. Keyed tothe mid-portion of the rod 250 is a flanged collar 254 which is embraced by the forked end of a lever 256, which is pivoted near its rear end at 258 to the bracket head 32, as shown in Figure 9. The front end of the lever 256 is maintained normally elevated by means of a coil spring 260 attached to the rear end of said lever and to the bracket head 32. To'the middle portion of thelever 256, and in advance of its pivot 258,is attached a wear piece 262 in position adapted to be engaged by a lug 264 projecting laterally from a collar 266 attached to the upper end portion of the vertically reciprocating rod 60. I

The operating rod 60 reoiprocates vertically within bearings provided in the head of the column or standard 30 and in a bracket 270 inside said column, as shown in Figure 3, and the lower end of saidrod is pivotally connected to an eccentric strap 27 operatively associated with an eccentric 274 secured to a shaft 275 mounted transversely mechanism illustrated comprises a foot lever 278 connected by a link 280 to a pivoted bar 282 having a wedged portion 284: adapted for engagement with the notch 286 of a pin 288 mounted slidingly in a set of collars 290 which are keyed to the shaft 275. A coilspring 291 acting against one end of the pm 288 is adapted to project the other end of said pin into a recess 292 provided on the inner face of the hub of the pulley 27 6 for clutching the pulley to the shaft 275; this pin 288 is retracted for unclutching the pulley by the action of the bar 282, whenever the latter is lifted by the action of a coil spring 29d, as illustrated in Figure 26, whereby the wedge-shaped portion 284 is engaged with the recess 286 of the pin 288,

thus retracting said pin against the action of said spring 291.

The clutching operation is effected by simply depressing the foot lever 278 for lowering the pivoted bar 282 out of engagement with the pin 288; and, vice versa, the pulley 276 is unclutched by releasing the foot lever 278, thereby restoring the engagement of the bar 282 with the pin 288 and hence retracting the latter out of engagement with the recess 292 in the hub of the pulley.

The shaft 275 also carries a gear pinion 300 meshing with a gear wheel 301 journaled on a stub shaft 303 on the interior of the column or standard 30, said gear wheel having its inner face provided with a wrist pin 30 1 to which is pivotally connected the lower end of a reciprocating bar 305, the upper end of which bar is pivotally connected to the inner end of the lever 88 which operates the nail feeding mechanism, as already described (see Figure 3).

This machine being especially designed for the driving of nails into the soles and heels of boots or shoes, a support for the work is provided in the form of a horn 306 the mid-portion of a lever 312 having the outerend thereof provided with a handle 313 for operation in the adjustment of the anvils position. The inner end of the lever 312 is pivotally supported upon the upper end of a link 314 having its lower end pivotally connected to the upper end 315 of a plunger operating within a suitable dash pot 316, as'shown in Figure 1. The outer end portion of the lever 312 is fitted with a ratchet pawl 317 operating along a rack 318 secured to the exterior of the column or standard 30, whereby the anvil 307 may obviously be adjusted to any desired elevation.

A novel form of feeding device is also provided for automatically feeding the shoe or other stock into-which the nails are being driven, and so arranged as to effect feeding movement of the work between the successive driving operations of the machine. This device comprises a plate 320 having bearing arms 322 for engagement with hearing elements 323 mountedupon the frame-work of the bracket head 32 in such position as to support the plate 320 for pivotal movement about the axis of the nail driver 250. This pivotal arrangement is for the purpose of enabling the device to be positioned on either side of the nail driver, so as to adapt the device for feeding the work in either of two opposite directions, according to the will of the workman. The device carries a latch element 325 pivoted at 326 to the plate 320, and actuated by a spring 327 into latching position. For latching purposes, the lower end of said latch 325 is adapted to be engaged with either one of a pair of recesses 328 provided in the opposite sides of the block 186. The'feeding device proper co nprises a plate330 pivoted to one face of the plate 320, as shown at 331 in Figure 1, the pivotal movement of the plate 330 being limited by a stop screw 332 engaging slot 333 in the plate 330. To the lower projecting end of the plate 330 is attached a flexible and resilient finger 334, secured to the plate330 by means of a set of screws 335 carried by lugs 336 struck out laterally in opposite directions from the lower edge of the plate 330. The free end portion of the finger 334: is of such a length as to be projected by the pivotal movement of the plate 330 to some distance beyond the line of action of the nail driver 250. The plate 330 with its feed finger 334i is held normally retracted out of feeding position by means of a coil spring 338 connecting the plate 330 with an extension projecting out ward from the plate 320, and is operated against the action of said spring 338, to project the finger 334 into work feeding position, by means of a yoke 3&0 slidingly enibracing the plate 320 and pivotally connected to the plate 330, as indicated at 342, in Figure 1, said yoke extending upward into position to be engaged by a lever 3 A pivoted at 34-6 to the frame-work of the bracket head 32, as shown in Figure 5. The rear end of the lever 344 carries a set screw 348 adapted for adjustable engagement by the lug 264 already referred to as being carried by the vertically reciprocating rod and operating through the arm or lever 256 to actuate the nail driver. The yoke 340 its slidingly over the plate 320 for embracing both sides thereof (see Figure 5) and is provided with a slot 350 engaging a pin 351 carried by said plate 320 for limiting the yokes movement. By suitable adjustment of the screw 348 it will be understood that the extent of feeding movement, as produced by the vertical movement of the lug 264, may be readily varied according to requirements, as indicated by the distance apart it is desired to drive the nails. In the feeding operation, the free end of the finger 234 will engage the head of the nail Which has just been driven and, during the elevation of the driver and the pivoted arms 238, will push said nail along with the stock across the anvil support, the extent of movement being that distance for which the screw 348 has been adjusted, as has just been explained.

An adjustable edge gauge is also provided for engagement with the edge of the shoe sole or stock, this device comprising a stop or rest 354 secured to the front end'of a slide 355 operating along a slideway 356, in which the slide 355 is retained by suitable fastening brackets 357. The slide 355 is adjusted for appropriate positioning of the stop or rest 354 (that is, according to, the distance from the edge of the work at which it may be desired to drive the nails), by

means of a lever 358 pivoted at 359 and having a slot 360 slidingly engaging a pin 361 projecting out from the slide 355.

The operation of the machine will doubtless be clearly understood from the eXplana-' tion already given in the detailed description above, but the steps thereof may be briefly summarized as follows: A supply of nails having been placed in the hopper, and the machine set in operation by the de pressing of the foot lever 278, anda boot or shoe having been placed upon the horn 306, the nails will at once begin to be delivered from the hopper on to the raceway by the nail feeding mechanism, th rotation; of the feed wheel picking up the nails by means of the pockets 96 and elevating them into position opposite the discharge opening 98 where they are free to slide down on to the movable raceway section 120. The nails are continuously agitated or stirred within the outer compartment of the hopper by means of the pins 54, which are being constantly reciprocated by means of the arm 58 connected with the reciprocating'rod 60. As

the nails are loaded on to the. movable raceway section 120, the latter is intermittently reciprocated by the bell crank lever 144 actuated from the wheel 154 upon the shaft 66, so that the connection between the lower end of the movable raceway section and the fixed raceway 138 is constantly being interrupted and broken, leaving a gap between said fixed raceway and the movable section which allows the excess nails to drop down off of the raceway. The feeding movement is also facilitated by the quick, sharp movement with which the'movable raceway section is returned into engagement with the fixed raceway, by the action of its spring 134. A further precaution against any clogging of the nails within the raceway is afforded by the hammer-like action of the pin 156 which delivers its blow against the side of th movable raceway 120 between the successive reciprocations of the latter, the, pin

being actuatedby the lever 164 which is operated from the wheel170, in turn operated by the pawl 174 which is carried by the reciprocating link 76. This. is the same link which, it will be recalled, actuates the feed 7 and inclined in the direction of the inlet v opening 184 provided for'the return of such excess nails throughthe hopper section 36. The nails travel. along the fixed raceway 138 in the usual manner to the foot thereof, where they are successively engaged by the.

nail separating and transferring device 192 and delivered to the nail driver passage 194, and beneath the nail driver 250, said device being operated by the described connections leading to the arm 216 and plate 220. In the passage 194 each nail is caught and held by the mating recesses 240- of the arms 238,

until the nail driver 250 has descended into engagement with the nail, the said nail driver being operated'by engagement of the lug 264 on the vertically reciprocating rod '60 with the lever 256. as already explained. The arms 238 provided with the recesses 240 move along with the nail during the fore.

part of the driving action, and until the p'oint of the nailhas become partially embedded in the stock. This is for the purpose of insuring the proper presentationof the nail to the work, after which the arms 238 simply spread apart due to the pressure of the driver-250 within the tapered mating recesses 240, the arms 238 promptly returning to raised and closedposition after the driver 250 has passed back into its raised position, as shown in Figure 9. The distance at which the nail is driveirfrom the edge of the work is conveniently gaged by presentation of said edge of the work against the stop or s end of the said raceway for restoring any rest an, the position of which is conveniently adjusted'by means of the lever 358. As soon as th nail has been driven, the return of the driver 250 is accompanied by engagement of the lug 26f carried by the rod with the screwBlS which operates the lever 3 ft for actuating the plate 330 carrying the work feeding finger 334, this being brought forward beneath the'drive passage and into engagement with the head of the nail ust driven, thus resulting in a forward feeding of the work to an extent varying in accordance with the adjustment of said screw 848. Obviously the work may be fed in either direction according to the position of the shoe feeding device, which may be swung to either side of the driving position and held latched by means of the device 325 engaging either one of the notches 328.

It will thus be apparent that I have devised a novel and eflicient construction of' machine for effectively carrying out the desired objects of the invention, and I desire to reserve the right to make such changes or modifications as may fairly fall in the scope of the following claims.

I claim 1. In a nailing machine, a nail hopper provided with a discharge outlet near the top thereof, a raceway adjacent to said outlet and extending parallel to the adjacent side of the hopper, a laterally'mclined surface connecting said outlet with said raceway for a substantial distance along the latter, and a nail feed device operating to lift nails from said hopper and discharge the same through said outlet onto said inclined surface.

2. In a nailing machine, a nail hopper provided with a discharge outlet, an inclined raceway adjacent to said outlet and adapted to receive nails therefrom, means for reciprocating said raceway, and a nail feed device for feeding nails from the hopper to said outlet, said hopper being pro vided with a return passage from the lower excess nails to the hopper.

3. Nail feeding mechanism for nailing machines, comprlsing an fmchned fixed raceway, an inclined longitudinally reciprocat= ing raceway section, means for feeding nails on to said raceway section, and auto matic means for reciprocating said raceway section for intermittently bringing the lower end thereof into register with the upper end of said fixed raceway.

i. Nail feeding mechanism for nailing machines, comprising an inclined fixed raceway, an inclined reciprocating raceway section having its lower end normally in registor with the upper end of said fixed raceway, and automatic means for longitudinally reciprocating said raceway section for intermittently separating the same from the fixed raceway and allowing the discharge of any excess nails from the raceway section.'

5. Nail feeding mechanism for nailing machines, comprising an inclined fixed raceway, an inclined reciprocating raceway section having its lower end normally in register with the upper end of said fixed raceway, and means for reciprocating said raceway section in the direction of its length and thereby causing said section to intermittently strike the upper end of the fixed raceway, for facilitating the discharge of the nails from the raceway section on to the fixed raceway.

6. Nail feeding mechanism for nailing machines, comprising a hopper, an inclined fixed raceway, an inclined reciprocating raceway section havingits lower end normally in register with the upper end of said fixed raceway, means for feeding nails on to said raceway section from the hopper, means for intermittently. separating said raceway section from the fixed raceway to permit the discharge of any excess nails, and means for returning such eXcessnails to the hopper.

7. Nail feeding mechanism for nailing machines, comprising a hopper, an inclined fixed raceway, an inclined reciprocating raceway section having its lower'end nor mally in register with the upper end of the said fixed raceway, means forfeeding nails on to said raceway section from the hopper, means for intermittently separating said raceway section from the fixed raceway to discharge any excess nails and thereafter returning said section sharply into engagement with said fixed raceway to facilitate the feeding of the nails on to said fixed raceway, and means for returning any excess nails to the hopper.

8. Nail feeding mechanism for nailing machines, comprising an inclined fixed raceway, an inclined reciprocating raceway section, means for feeding nails onto said raceway section, means for reciprocating said raceway section for intermittently bringing the lower end thereof into regis ter with the upper end of said fixed raceway, and an automatic device acting intermittently to deliver a sharp blow against the side of said raceway section to facilitate the feeding movement of the nails and the discharging of any excess nails from said section.

9. Nail feeding mechanism for nailing machines, comprising an inclined fixed raceway, an inclined reciprocating raceway section having its lower end normally in registered engagement with the upper end of the fixed raceway, means for reciprocating said raceway section for intermittently separating the same from the fixed raceway, and means acting automatically between successive reciprocating movements of saidisection to deliver a sharp blow against the side of said section for facilitating the feeding movement of the nails and the discharging of any excess nails from said section.

10. Nail feeding mechanism for nailing machines, comprising an inclined fixed raceway, an inclined reciprocating raceway section having its lower end normally in registered engagement with the upper end of the fixed raceway, means for reciprocating said raceway section for intermittently separating the same from the fixed raceway, a pin mounted for movement transversely of said raceway section and adapted to be brought into engagement therewith, and means acting automatically between successive reciprocating movements of said sec,- tion to cause said pin to deliver a sharp blow upon said section for facilitating the feeding movement of the' nails and the discharging of any excess nails from said section. I

11. Nail feeding mechanism for nailing machines, comprising an inclined fixed race way, an inclined reciprocating raceway section, means for feeding nails on to said raceway section, means for reciprocating said raceway section for intermittently bringing the lower end thereofinto register with the upper end of said fixed raceway, a pin mounted for movement transversely of said raceway section and adapted to be brought intoengagement therewith, means holding said pin yieldingly out of engagement with said section, and means acting automatically between successive reciprocating movements of said section to cause said pin to deliver a sharp blow upon said section for facilitating the feeding movement of the nails and the discharging of any excess nails from said section.

12. Nail feeding mechanism for nailing machines, comprising an inclined fixed raceway, an inclined reciprocating raceway section, means for urging said section yieldingly in the direction of said fixed raceway and maintaining the lower end of said sec.-

' the, rim portion of said wheel being formed with radial nail pockets facing that side of the hopperprovided with the discharge outlet, said wheel being also formed with openings alternating with said pockets and permitting nails to be received within said pockets, said pockets being adapted to be moved successively across said outlet for discharging nails therethrough, said hopper being provided with a return passage from said raceway adapted to discharge through said openings into the bottom of the hopper.

14. In a nailing machine, a nail hopper provided with a discharge outlet in one side of the hopper near the top thereof, a raceway adjacent said outlet and extending parallel to the adjacent side of the hopper, an inclined surface connecting said outlet with said raceway for a substantial distance along the latter, and a skeleton feed wheel rotating within said hopper about a horizontal axis, the rim portion of said wheel being formed with radial nail pockets moved by said wheel in succession across said discharge outlet, said hopper being provided with a return passage for excess nails from said raceway, said return passage vbeing adapted to discharge through said skeleton wheel into the bottom of the hopper.

LEWIS v. AVITT. 

